Device for throwing grenades by means of firearms



Nov. 7., 1961 E. w. BRANDT 3,007,271

DEVICE FOR THROWING GRENADES BY MEANS OFFIREARMS Filed Feb. 20. 1959 INV EN TOR.

4 lm. M,

States ater DEVICE FOR THROWING GRENADES BY MEANS OF FIREARMS EdgarWilliam Brandt, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to I Anstalt fur dieEntwieklung von Erfindungen und Gevverblichen Anwendungen Energa, Vaduz,Liechtenstem Filed Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,563

I Claims priority, 5application Switzerland Mar. 28, 1958 Claims. (Cl.42-1) This invention relates to a method of and means for throwinggrenades by means of firearms.

Modern firearms, and more especially semi-automatic orautomaticriflesare generally provided with a muzzle tion of the pressure exerted on theend of the tail of the grenade owing to the lateral escape of a part ofthe gases through the said vents and, in consequence, a detrimental lossof velocity.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem by increasing thedimensions of the muzzle brake, for example, so as to adapt its outsidediameter to the inside diameter of the tail of the grenade. Thissolution has the disadvantage already cited above, namely, a substantialloss of the pressure of the gases and, in consequence, of initialvelocity, owing to the exposure of the vents as the grenade movesforward and, moreover, this modification entails an increase in weightat the end of the weapon, which may influence the firing conditions.

Furthermore, with the discharger cups of the usual type, which are fixedon the weapon permanently during grenade firing, only grenades adaptedto the discharger cup in question can be used, and the discharger cup isfitted with a sight corresponding to these grenades. This arrangementrenders it impossible to use other grenades adapted to produce difierenteffects, for example incendiary grenades, smoke, anti-personnel andother grenades. In addition, it is found that the precision obtainedwhen firing bullets with a weapon provided with such a sleeve isconsiderably less than when firing is canied out without a dischargercup.

There are also weapons containing no muzzle brake or like device and thebarrel of which, at its end, has no member adapted to cooperate in thefixing of a discharger cup of the usual type, for example a front sight.

The sleeve of the present invention is equally well suited for throwinggrenades by means of such weapons. It may be fitted to all the types ofsuch weapons hereinbefore described, without entailing modification oftheir barrels, and it enables the aforementioned drawbacks to beobviated.

The sleeve according to the invention is characterised in that itcomprises means which, on the one hand, enable it to be maintained onthe barrel of the weapon in such manner that it can be detachedtherefrom when the shot has been fired so that when throwing occurs itis projected forward after the grenade, and, on the other hand, enablethe displacement of the sleeve on its support to be effected at a veryreduced speed in relation to that of the grenade.

When the sleeve of the present invention is intended for throwinggrenades by means of firearms in which the barrel is provided with amuzzle brake or a similar device, it constitutes at one and the sametime a diseharger cup on which the tail of the grenade is fitted and anobturator intended to mask at least partially the ice 2, ventsof thesaid muzzle brake, the velocity communicated to it, which is very low inrelation to that of the grenade, enabling it to mask the said vents forat least the greater part of the propulsion path of the said grenade.

The invention also relates to a method of throwing grenades by means ofthe hereinbefore described sleeve, which is characterised in that asleeve is disposed inside the tail of each grenade and the assemblyformed by the latter and the said sleeve is fitted on the barrel of theweapon.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood,reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustratediagrammatically and by way of example, three embodiments thereof, andin which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of the sleeve supporting a grenadeand fitted on the barrel of. a firearm ,provided with a muzzle brake;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the sleeve of FIGURE 1, but in a difierentposition in relation to the barrel of the weapon;

FIGURE 3 shows a modification of the sleeve; and

FIGURE 4 shows another modification of the sleeve.

FIGURE 1 shows the end of the barrel 1 of an automatic rifle, whichbarrel is provided with a muzzle brake comprising a series of vents 2.The throwing of anti-tank, anti-personnel, smoke, and other riflegrenades by means of such a weapon is effected by means of a tubularsleeve 3 which is retained inside the tail of each grenade and which isintended to be fitted with slight friction on the barrel 1 so as to maskthe said vents 2. The inner wall of the sleeve 3 has a collar 4 adaptedto abut against the end of the barrel 1 for the purpose of locating thesleeve on its support. The sleeve 3 also has a retaining deviceconstituted by an elastic metal ring 5 housed in a groove 6 in the innerwall of the sleeve, said ring being adapted to exert on the periphery ofthe barrel 1 a clamping force sufficient to ensure that the sleeve isheld in all the circumstances imposed by firing in the field, especiallyfiring when the nozzle of the barrel is pointed downwardly. A similarretaining device, constituted by an elastic metal ring 7 housed in agroove 8, is disposed at the periphery of the sleeve 3 for the purposeof holding it inside the tail 9 of the grenade.

At the time of firing, the assembly constituted by the grenade and thesleeve 3, which is already in place inside the tail 9, is fitted on thebarrel 1 (FIGURE 1). When the shot leaves, the major part of thepropulsion gases issuing from the cartridge, bearing on the end of thetail 9 of the grenade, causes the latter to be projected forwardly. Asmall part of the gases, however. bearing on the rear face of the collar4 of the sleeve 3, tend to project the sleeve 3 forward as well, thespeed driving the latter being however extremely reduced in relation tothat imparted to the grenade. The low velocity imparted to the sleeve 3,which will fall a few yards from the rifieman, enables the vents 2 to beclosed during the greater part at least of the path of the grenade onthe said sleeve (FIGURE 2).

FIGURE 3 shows a modification of the sleeve of FIG- URES 1 and 2, inwhich a collar 4a, constituted by .a separate metallic ring, is securedto the sleeve 3 by crimping.

The modification illustrated in FIGURE 4 relates to the device retainingthe sleeve on the barrel of the weapon. This device consists of a clamp10 comprising on the one hand a series of elastic strips 10a held in ahousing 11 provided in the inner wall of the sleeve for the purpose ofsecuring said clamp to the latter, and on the other hand a series ofelastic strips 10b adapted to exert a retaining force on the barrel ofthe weapon.

It is obvious that the sleeve of the present invention can be appliedequally well to the throwing of grenades of the rifle, and means to move'the sleeve forwardly ifr'oinftlieibafreli with the grenade, 'coni'prising an aper- .tlired r'n'emher projecting inwardly f r'c51'11"th'esleeve 'in 7 front of the rifle barrel and in the path of 'the"gas'e"sfrom the barrel. r 2. In'com'bination with a rifle having a ventedmuzzle brake and a rifle grenade having a hollow tail section adapted tobe mounted over the barrel of said rifle, a

readily slidable launching sleeve slidablymounted with in said tail'sectionarid slidably surrounding the' muzzle of the rifle, and means tomove the sleeve forwardly from the-barrel withthe grenade, comprisingariai 'nular collar" projecting inwardly fro'm the sleeve'in frontof the r'the collar is integral with the sleeve. 7

4.;In combination yvith a riflehavinga vented muzzle brake and' a riflegrenade having a hollow seetion the rifle, an annular collar pro ect: ginwardly from an barrel and in*th pat-th ef the gases e harrel and inthe path :of the gasesfrom the h'arrel." p flfAalaunching device asdefined in claim 2 in adapted to be mounted over the barrel of saidrifle, 'a readily slidable launching sleeve slidably mounted within thetail section and slidably: surrounding the muzzle of,

the rifle,*and means to move the sleeve forwardly from the barrel withthe grenade, comprising an 'annular colprotec i g w r y from an intrmediate. parrot the sleeve in front oftheiriflharrelandiiri the path ofthe Vgases,fromthegbarrelQ' intermediate pair: of

gi k' v i g v i i. r\ m mid rli: V v References Citedin the of thispatent V UNITE sures rais n-T3 V V 2,3.395285 t-Moore Jan. 13,49442,557,630 lBlacker Nov; '3; 1953 arid the V

